A Christmas Carol (1843)

A mean'ol man named Scrooge disdains Christmas and Christmas spirit. During Scrooge's sleep three ghosts visit him. The first ghost is of Christmas past who brings Scrooge to his previous Christmases. The next ghost is of Christmas present. The final ghost is of Christmas future. In the future peolpe are rejoicing over the death of the greedy man. When Scrooge wakes up on the Christmas morning he realizes his ways and gives out money and visits his nephew for dinner.

I found this book a quick read. I would not recommend this book because the story is just the same as anyone knew it. Besides that, it was a great movie. But, this book also was death defyingly boring. It is a good classic if you are into those types of books. This book was not thrilling, it is not like it was glued to your fingers either. I will not read this book to my children. ( )

A Christmas Carol defines the best parts of Christmas. I’m a huge fan of Christmas, but not so much about the mall shopping or online sales or that kind of stuff. More about the parts where we all agree (in theory) to be a little more patient, a little more cheery, a little more forgiving, and a little more generous with ourselves and one another. And the possibility that we can take those traits into the rest of the year as well. This story hits those themes hard.

Scrooge is so delightfully miserly at the beginning. He begrudges his clerk a holiday on Christmas day. He refuses to give to charity because his tax dollars already go to welfare programs. He actually says that the death of the poor will help with the surplus population! Jeeze, what a jerk. But people put up with him because he’s rich. Any other reason? There doesn’t seem to be, and we realize later that no one much likes him at all, even the businessmen he works with.

What we learn about Scrooge through his experiences with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Be is that he’s pathetic. For all his industry and his keen business savvy, he’s something that inspires nothing but pity in us. He earns money, but he doesn’t spend it on anything to make himself or anyone around him more comfortable. Money for money’s sake, but at the expense of human connections. In his mind, he’s superior to everyone; but to everyone, he’s a pitiful wretch.

Of course, what makes this such a great story is Scrooge’s dramatic turnaround. Maybe he can’t get back everything he’s lost for his love of money, but over time he can repair a lot. He goes from being the most ungenerous, bitter, greedy person on Earth to becoming the epitome of generosity and good will all year round. Sound like too much? That’s just the magic of Christmas. ( )

It is short and easy to read, and everybody pretty much knows the story. The plot is simple. Nice, easy read. ( )

We all know the story. Most of us having seen the films several times over the years, but how many have actually read the original book?

Dickens provides a unique insight into the life of poverty stricken Victorian England. Some of the phrases used may seem a little dated now, and a number of words no longer used at all but the meaning of the novel still carries as much weight today as when it was written. Dickens creates characters that are easy to empathise with, and draws us into their world as well as any other writer. Published in 1843 it's message of philanthropy and generosity has inspired countless thousands across many generations and remains as relevant as ever.

Well worth a read. ( )

It was time to read this great book again having seen Scrooge the musical with Tommy Steele at the Brighton Centre. Stunning read ( )